Mass Cytometry

Mass cytometry is a variation of flow cytometry where cells are labelled with metal ions instead of fluorescent tags and then analysed using time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Also known as CyTOF, this technology allows researchers to break free of the constrictions that apply to using fluorophores in the visible spectrum. This blending of flow cytometry with mass spectrometry provides the ability to measure more complex parameters per cell resulting in a richer dataset and a more detailed understanding. The mass cytometry community is growing rapidly around the world as more applications are adopted.